


Her Majesty's Companion

by mlle_imandeus



Category: Sam & Cat (TV), Victorious
Genre: Attempted Rape/Non-Con, F/F, Implied/Referenced Incest
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2014-08-04
Updated: 2014-10-13
Packaged: 2018-02-11 17:58:15
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 23,355
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2077641
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/mlle_imandeus/pseuds/mlle_imandeus
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Urban Fantasy AU. Cat is a modern Faerie Princess. Sam is her guard. Romance and adventure ensue. T for now. may become M in future.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Geiuxmera is simply pronounced goo-mare-a. Dicelina is dice-a-lee-na

I remember the day Sam came to join the Royal Guard.

I could say it was because she was the first girl squire we had in my lifetime. Or because she was my age. I could say a dozen things and they would all be pieces of the truth. But the real reason, the main reason, is because from the first day I saw her I wanted to kiss her.

I'm not someone who goes around kissing or even wanting to. I had no experience with kisses outside my family. And my only experience with kisses that were not sweet parental pecks were from my brother, the Mad Prince.

His attentions were a burden I was forbidden to scorn. Because he was the king's heir and his whim was law. So I learned to run very quickly and spend my time hiding in any cubby I could fit in at a very young age.

I was like a ghost in the palatial hotel that functioned as our palace in these modern times. Making myself scarce whenever possible: never being seen, but seeing everything I could. Trying to turn anything I saw to my advantage.

Not the most royal of behaviors, maybe even the least. But I had to take care of me. No one else was going to.

And that was how I ended up in a vent under the eaves when Sam arrived. It was clearly once home to birds but there were about two dozen feral cats that lived on the grounds and in the abandoned wing of the hotel. Since they were both physically and magically discouraged from being seen in the hotel proper they had long since taken over any hidden areas they could fit into. So they might move freely through some walls and in the crawlspace between attic and roof.

They used that particular area as a catwalk and place to catch birds. But it was narrow with no places where it widened in this section they might turn into a den like they had in other areas. So they just passed through. Because of that it didn't have the catty odor some of the areas picked up and just smelled of stone and mortar dust for the most part.

The large formal dresses I was required to wear were far too large to fit in the crawlspace. Although I was able to navigate handily unencumbered.

For that reason as my maids were fond of saying I ran through bloomers, slips, and camisoles more than twice as quickly as any other lady in the nobility. Dicelina and Geuixmera, my maids, and perhaps my two closest friends, (as much as maids can be friends with their ladies); were very good about covering for me when any clothing questions came up.

Whether I was hiding from my brother or adventuring in the number of castle passageways, I could count on their discretion.

Dicelina had one of the quickest minds in my father's realm. Although no one gave her credit, except myself, because she was a maiden and barely on the cusp of her womanhood. And Geuixmera, though she was dim, was frightfully tall and strong. Before coming to castle service her job, on her family's farm to the south, was wrestling bulls to the ground that they might be gentled with a red hot blade for fattening or draftwork.

I knew how lucky I was to have such a pair. Closer than sisters and each with unique skills that were still believed the balliwick of men in faerie culture.

This ignorance of female talent and their low birth was the only reason I was able to retain them. If they'd been born with that most male of organs, Dicilena would have been trained to steward a manor or even royal manse and Geuixmera would have been taken, forcibly if need be, into the King's guard.

If Geuixmera had been the same in every right but of fully non-faerie blood, rather than mixed, by birth, she might have squired in the castle that day instead of Sam. But faerie lasses were not permitted to even consider such vocation because it is unseemly. So I was lucky in every way.

I certainly felt I deserved it after the poor luck I had as a daughter born into the family of the mad prince. A mad crown royal who desired me, though I was his own sister. Parents who indulged him in every whim, who saw my only value as marriage fodder to cement an alliance.

However, unfortunately for me, we had the only noble house still in existence. With all the other High Races extinct, assimilated into us, or gone the egalitarian way of the humans, were nobility and serf were no longer separated.

The Western Court, that sat on the Pacific and ruled fae on that side of the Mississippi, were forever our rivals and a joining of the Houses would not be permitted.

Our European cousins were out of the question. The High House, the Court of the Faerie Queen herself, liked us to stay where we were placed.

She said she had no respect for any fae who had no roots and loyalty to their native soil.

The fact that her grandmother had sent our families here over three hundred years ago to conquer native fae and establish the East and Western Courts didn't fit her words, or her will, and so was never mentioned.

This meant there was no marriage I must be saved for. I would eventually be given in marriage to one of father's highest and strongest vassals. But for such a union I needn't be entirely pure as long as I was only sullied with a touch noble enough to actually increase my value in certain circumstances. Like the Crown Prince.

Father's closet attendant courtiers were already tying themselves in knots trying to get my father's attention sufficiently to warrant such a trophy.

The new squire was the talk of the Court by the end of that first day. Not only because she was a girl but because she was a mystery. Like all women who chose to join the guard, she was tasked with defeating five champions chosen from the existing guard. Instead of the one champion a male is challenged with.

These challenges are fought in the Courtyard with hundreds of curious humans in bleachers and milling around taking pictures and the fae of the Court watching in a more dignified way from balconies above.

Sam came to us at Court with no family or recorded lineage.

She fought and beat the challengers set for her without significant effort and joined the guard at the rank of squire. I watched the challenge from a hidey hole and believe she could have beaten them all at once rather than in succession, if required.

No one even knew her Clan. She answered all inquiries, "My House and blood are loyal servant to the House of Valentine in general and my Princess Catarina in particular". The Court mages claimed they were unable to read her race in her aura. They said it was clearly very powerful but specifics evaded even their deepest examination.

The Fae as a whole had plenty of dissent within. Since no other lineage blood may lay claim to any rank higher than 'honored servant', most beings of power kept their heads down and didn't bother with the affairs of Court.

They would follow our laws out of practicality because as the strongest lineage magically, we could compel obedience, and once you have even see that, let alone felt it, you have no interest in another taste. This left us obeyed but resented by most other clans.

So there were those who questioned her use of 'my princess' rather than 'the princess'. But fewer than thoseconfused by her singling out my near worthless self by name.  
It was a simple and minor matter of semantics, and wouldn't have been noticed if she wasn't so cloaked in mystery that the gossip mongers were clutching at any straw that passed their grasp. No one thought for a moment she might mean it in a proprietary way even slightly. It was common terminology in our Court, which she had clearly come to join, for whatever reason that may be.

Even with a guard command that looked down on her and thought her at best a curiosity at worst a freak. And tradition against her. It was only six months until she was promoted. From squire to knight errant. What was once called a knight bachelor.

I kissed her once on each cheek in congratulation, as is tradition for princesses to do with knights. And if it wasn't the kisses I've had feverish dreams about since the first time I saw her, it was something. I'm pretty certain she felt it too.

I was hoping that she would be set to protect my person. I think she was as well, since she did single me out as the particular reason she had come to serve. But I heard my mother gloating to her maids and ladies about how she would be the first queen beside the Faerie Queen herself who actually had a distaff knight. It was both a status symbol and a safety concern to have a guard that could remain in one's bedroom rather than outside the door. Little did she know that her hopes would soon be dashed.

That night we had Sam's Accolade of Investiture, A formal feast celebrating Sam's knighthood. The only feast she would be welcomed at until she became a Knight Commandant, unless she was working.

Sam had the wherewithal to invite me to dance. This would have been and was seen as normal maidenplay and completely above board for a fast song. Although strictly as royalty I should ask her. However there was quite a bit of murmuring when her Accolade Waltz was announced and she approached me. Distaff knights are used to rumors and rudeness. Generalities such as they all lay only with women. And I did not have value enough beyond my title to have the luxury of taking notice of such things. Especially since I now suspected laying with her was my fondest wish.  
I did hear my father say. 'If she serves well, she can have her for all I care. That will be a novelty"

To which my brother replied, "I would like to see that."

So I danced her Accolade Waltz with Lady Sam. She seemed nervous and only made the briefest of small talk.  
That was acceptable to me. I was so giddy with delight, I probably wouldn't have been the best conversationalist anyway.

Then the Lady withdrew and didn't ask me to dance again for the rest of the night. However, she didn't dance with anyone else either. She sat by herself, rebuffing the attention of her cadremates and the few nobles who were brave enough to try. I would say from her behavior, that her shyness had overpowered her. Except there was no way I could inspire such a reaction.

When it became clear that she wouldn't be asking again tonight, I turned in early and retired to my room.

I had spent about an hour raving about the beautiful Lady Sam to Dicelina and Geuixmera as they got me ready for bed, when my brother walked in.

Apparently even common courtesy, such as knocking on a lady's bedroom door is beyond him. He knows I can't refuse him, but that's not good enough, he must also show that everything that's mine is his.

Geuixmera stepped between us without it seeming like she was doing so, seemingly just going about her duties. She was almost my brother's height and there was no doubt she was in better physical shape. The prince wore the weight of his indolence with pride. But he was the Crown Prince and anything more protective than stepping between us would not be tolerated. Even with that little bit, she needed to be careful and not appear to be interfering.

"Well are you going to tell your maids to leave. Or do you think they should stay and learn something. Because let me tell you, they'll learn nothing from you. You just lie there. It's like laying with a dead fish." My brother, the Mad Prince, said.

When I tried to send them away they both argued that they had too much work to do and really must remain. I knew they were just saying that to protect me, and sadly my brother did as well and immediately put a stop to it. Yanking the brass bedwarmer from Dicelina's hand and beating them both with it. Knowing Geuixmera could not retaliate. I'm certain that he didn't worry that she might snatch it back from him.

They both ran from the room and my brother followed them to the door throwing the bedwarmer after them and hitting Dicelina, I would guess from her cry of pain. But he had the door closed again before I could see.

I began to try to unobtrusively sidle toward the opposite wall. Trying to keep as much space as possible between us.

"Surely you know better than to make this hard for me. It only makes it hard on yourself." He said.

"You don't need to do this brother. Like you said, you get no pleasure from me. I'm bad at it and too stupid to be trained. You've said so yourself." I said, still backing away.

"Yes, but Father said perhaps I could just take your maidenhood and get it over with tonight."

My brother had taken his pleasure on me many times. Whether it be relieving tensions on my body with his fists or in more intimate and less speakable ways. But he had technically left me a virgin. Because my virginity might be the only value I had and our father didn't want it spent to no purpose.

But to hear my brother talk, maybe father had decided even that was worthless. I continued to back away. "What did he say exactly. That you may do what you like with me? Or that perhaps you may do what you like with me? Because, he has said perhaps before and had you come to me with big plans. But if you hadn't been interrupted and you had violated my only treasure we would have both been whipped for me losing it. Do you remember that?"

He looked smug and snide when he said, "Don't be so dramatic. Violated. Violated? I wouldn't need to take it from you if you offered it to me like a dutiful sister and loyal subject should, to her future king."

"Neither of us would like that, brother. Because I would hate being used by you and I know you would hate taking pleasure on a woman you didn't beat into submission first. Would you even be able to get hard with a willing woman?" I said. I don't know where I found the bravery to taunt him. That really wasn't like me.

He finally grabbed me and said, "I could if you warmed me up by putting on a little show with that girl from the guard. Maybe you should send for her."

"No brother, I won't be responsible for bringing another woman with in your reach." I said pulling away from him.

He made another grab for me and missed. "You will if I tell you to. I saw the way you looked at her. The way you danced with her. You want her. You want her and the only way you'll ever get her is if I allow it." He tried again and caught my wrist, digging his nails into me.

"No, I will not call Lady Sam for you!" I screamed, yanking my wrist from him again and leaving some skin under his nails.

My chamber door burst open then and Lady Sam stood there, saying, "You won't need to, Your Highness."

I'd never been called that before, by anyone except my maids. What happened next was also a first for me. Someone stood up for me. Not a clandestine pretending to be doing something else way, like Geuixmera or Dicelina did when they could. But directly. She ran toward us saying, "If your hand touches the princess, I will take it from you."

This got my brother's attention, "You dare speak to me like that? Leave this place freak. Abomination. Do you wish to die on the night of your Investiture? If you give me no more trouble tonight I will not kill you or have you killed. Right this minute I'm offering you no more than flogging to falling at dawn. But it won't be long before I add banishment to the list."

I mewed in the back of my throat accidentally as I drew into myself squirming at the thought of Lady Sam whipped until she couldn't stand.

But she was uncowed. "If you want me thrashed, Prince, I think you'll have to do it yourself." She shrugged and wiggled her arms like I'd seen men do, to get loose before a fight.  
But after the movement, she was several inches taller, almost my brother's height. She had a hump of muscle, like a bear's, between her shoulders at the base of her neck, large enough to stretch out her shirt.

She spread her arms and began to move between us. Taking a few steps to the side before reversing the other way. This sort of gave the impression of circling my brother like men do before they fight, but without ever leaving me unprotected.

I could feel the pressure in the air as the Prince drew his power and attempted to use his glamour to control her mind. "Kneel." He commanded.

Sam smiled a little, "Not tonight or any night, Prince."

He lifted his hand to her. His power so thick it visibly distorted the air around him and his hand began to shimmer like a trout in a stream. "Kneel before your future king."

Sam reached out and took his shimmering hand in hers and pushed it down. "Your title is Prince, Prince. Don't try to trade on the respect you might one day command."

The Prince looked a little nervous. Now he lifted both hands, holding them up just wide enough it was almost like he was taking her head between his hands from three feet away. "I command you to bow before me."

Sam was a little taller now, properly the Prince's size and she had most of a full beard of long silky fur like an pashmina goat which was visibly on every bit of her exposed skin. Her face was a little more beastial as well. Maybe a bit of boar, a bit of ape. But she was still perfectly understandable, if a little rough, when she grabbed a wrist in each hand and twisted his two arms in two different directions. Making him bend at the waist in pain as she said. "Bow like this, Prince?"

"Guards, guards!" He screamed. Finally met with an opponent who he couldn't glamour and who was clearly unimpressed with his rank he called for help without even trying to fight. It would seem he liked to think of himself as a braver man than he actually was.

And now I was pretty sure I knew my lady knight's heritage. Too bad she would die before I had a chance to investigate my theory and what it might mean.

She kneed my brother hard in the face as he screamed for the guard bent over and held by his arms. He dropped bonessly to the floor.

"My only wish is to protect you, Your Highness. But I can hardly do that dead. My initial plan was to get to know you and suggest we escape for the west coast, Because what safer place for you is there? Than in the bosom of you Mother's rival?" She smiled thinly. "I must run tonight if I want to live. Which I do. But I cannot compel you to join me and would not if I could. But I ask humbly if you will."

I didn't even need to think about it. "Of course I will, my Lady. But I must ask, what is a Hound of the Gods doing as a Court Guard?"

"The proper term is werebeast. Especially for me, as I have clearly not taken my vows. And I would gladly tell you my story. But this is neither time nor place." She motioned toward the door where the sound of a number of booted feet could be heard running.

I took her hand and led her to the servant's entrance behind a decorative screen. "Let's leave through here. Servant's stairs go from here to my maid's room and then there is a hall to the kitchens. This way if we run now and don't stop. We might be gone before the alarm is sounded and the palace locked down."

  
  



	2. Chapter 2

Because the hotel which housed the Eastern Court was still a working hotel, charging thousands of dollars a night for wealthy humans to sleep under the same roof as us, all the rooms on our floors were remodeled to have both service halls in the back of the rooms and high halls which we, the nobility, used. This was mandated because a faerie would only sink to personal service of the nobility, but so much more needed to be done. So the human staff needed to have access to our rooms as well.

Also, we, as magical nobility, refused to ever be in a situation where we might be accidentally confronted with the presence of a human.

They knew: to never, under any circumstances, enter the high halls; to only work when we were out of the rooms; and to leave a small red LED light next to the key box lit, that would warn us of their presence in case we return unexpectedly.

Our fae servants didn't have the same opportunity to avoid the non-magical staff or even the human guests. They were certainly expected to use the service halls since they had already been built. Also, their apartments were on the same underground level as the human employee break room and locker room.

I knew that Sam's only priority was me and us escaping safely. But I had loyalty to Gieuxmera and Dicelina. So I told her the tiny falsehood of we needed to go down through the servants quarters before going back up and out through the kitchen. Which we did with the stairs I had us take, but there were other ways down that didn't.

"How much do you trust these maids? Do we give them any information?" Sam asked as we approached their quarters.

"I trust them with my life. Their loyalty is as far above question as your own. Also, I am fond of them I would like to continue with their service if possible. We will need servants when we get where we go." I replied.

The girls were in their long flannel nightgowns when we arrived. Sam grabbed them by the front of their nightgowns and pulled them out the door before running again, assuming they'd follow.

"We're passing through on the way out. But I would have stopped anyway, to pay you back for alerting me that the princess was in trouble. I have rendered the Prince unconscious but not before he called the guards. They must have discovered him by now and are looking for us. We only have moments. I will take the princess and go to the Western Court. We will go to Los Angeles where the Court itself is, but will try to hide in secret. We just want to be nearby if we're discovered, then we'll be petitioning for asylum within the hour. But we cannot be caught. You must understand that. We must leave you behind, we need to travel as fast and unencumbered as possible. You are welcome to meet us there."

"Yes, please meet us there. Please, promise me." I said knowing how I loved and depended on them.

"Okay, the princess requests you meet us there. But you must be certain you are not followed. You must be more certain than certain. You will never forgive yourself if you cause the princess to fall into her brothers hands again. Especially after what's been done to him tonight. And what he'll see as us doing to him now. Stealing his property."

We left them there at the door to the human employees section of the parking garage in their night gowns and slippers. "We will give you a week to arrive and then for an hour at noon each day we will look for you on the Santa Monica Pier. It is crowded enough to not be obvious. Near enough to the Western Court to not be the only faeries around and far enough to make it unlikely there will be anyone there who had ever met the Princess before

Sam walked me through one door and back through one kitty-corner walking straight to the big laundry cart and rummaging in it. "This happened so fast. I'm glad the plan's as advanced as it is. You can't ride my motorcycle in your bloomers and camisole you'll freeze and you'll be recognized. The smallest maintenance worker wears a size small uniform. But it's a men's small. But we'll just roll up the cuffs and you'll leave your underthings on and-here it is!."

Sam pulled out a navy blue coverall that had some stains and bleach spots and smelled like floor wax.

She held it out to me. It was the poorest garment that I have ever been asked to put on. Both in quality and condition. But I wasn't the sort of maiden who balked at such things. To me it was like a raiment of finest gossamer. Almost holy. This meager human worker's uniform would take me safely from my brother's grasp.

Even with my clothing underneath, and the sleeves and legs rolled up, I was still swimming in the uniform. But Sam announced it good enough to pass muster. When she brought me to her motorcycle, I was frightened and exhilarated. I had been in a motor vehicle less than two dozen times in all my life. Each time to go with my family to some royal function.  
Every year there was the North American Summit when the Eastern, Western, Northern and Southern kingdoms met.  
It rotated where it would be, so three out of four years we traveled.

Every seven years we would grace what I was raised calling the Low Blood Jamboree.  
Called simply the Eastern Court Jamboree by participants and thrown each year by the mixed blood, low-born and other non-faerie fae.

Finally, in my lifetime, my parents had been invited once to attend the Faerie Queen at the High Court in Eriu, what the humans called Ireland.  
She also had a Summer Palace in France but my parents had yet to be invited.  
Of the New World fae, only the Western Court had ever been invited there.

The Summer Palace was mainly for those nobles the Queen considered friends. The only reason the West had been invited once is because since the Court itself was practically in the lap of Hollywood geographically and figuratively, they had a much closer relationship with the human media. It would seem even the Faerie Queen can benefit from good publicity.

Sam put her helmet on my head with my hair tucked away. The klaxon alarm started as we drove up the subterranean driveway.  
Sam visibly looked around when we drove through the last level. She looped wide and picked up a large push broom that a cleaner had left against the wall.

I just had time to think a push broom lance wouldn't be strong enough to break the wood and metal structure of the barrier, as we drove up the last hill to the exit.

At the last moment Sam swerved onto the walkway where the crossed piece of the large broom could work very well to push any bystanders who refused to move out of our way. Luckily every staff member we passed figured it was more than their job was worth to interfere.

Every one up until we got to the actual barrier operator. He wasn't a security guard on the staff exit so he was unarmed, even at our palace hotel.  
He did dodge at the last second, but the edge of the brushy part still caught him.  
Luckily, Sam was trained for jousting, even in this day and age, so she knew how to brace for the impact then release and push it away all in that split second time-frame she had. She knocked him to the ground and then we were free.

Free to face New York City traffic.

But this was life and death and Sam knew that, and respected it.  
She was driving on sidewalks, center medians, wrong way down a one way street just hugging us tight to the walls of the side buildings.

Lucky for us Sam had superhuman reflexes and a strategic mind. So she not only could handle her bike better than the cops that kept tailing us for a short distance before being lost. But she also could plan her moves four or five down the road. So by the time she got to the next move, she was more than ready.

That's why when we hit the place where two police cars blocked the road she turned into a subway entrance, down the steps and through the station. As we neared the wall she jumped the cycle down onto the tracks. Needless to say I did a lot of screaming during the entire trip. But once we were on the tracks it became pretty well nonstop. Especially when she hit the gas as we rattled along because suddenly there was a train gaining on us. I could just barely see a light ahead, even with my better than human senses. We were approaching a tunnel out, but with it being night outside it blended. The outside dimly lit by the moon and stars, maybe streetlights in he distance, the tunnel dimly lit by caution lights. They were very much alike in tone.

Even though I screamed like mad, with Sam in control we were out of the tunnel and turned off the tracks before we were in any real danger.

I guess her eyes are better than mine. Because she saw that there was only a small space between where the train came out of the tunnel and the beginning of the fence line that kept people and cars off the tracks and she arced the wheel perfectly to pass through the space without pulling to the side too much.

Then after about twelve yards there was a hill that we rattled down with me screaming the entire way and Sam barely keeping us upright but still somehow managing to make me feel reasonably safe, given the situation. I was glad of the muffling effect of her helmet on my screeching with fear.

It wasn't bad really. There was plenty of space between the trees and the ground was fairly solid not all craggy and full of deadfalls.

I did breathe a sigh of relief that sounded suspiciously like a sob when we hit an actual paved road and started driving level again. It wasn't long until we were out of the grassy tree lined hills area and into a commercial warehouse looking area, but the traffic was very light and there were no trains, so even if I didn't know where we were or where we were going, I liked it.

I mean I knew our final destination of course, but not how one got there. Especially not from here. Since I also didn't know where 'here' was.

Sam pulled into a small service station we passed as we traveled.

She pulled into the back where there was a door labeled rest room and a symbol: a triangle with a circle on top. I knew from seeing similar signs when I have been allowed in the human sections of the court hotel, that this designated the women's lavatory.  
Initially I was disappointed in the first one I went in, there at the court hotel. There were two couches in the area with the vanity mirrors, but I certainly could think of a more pleasant place to rest than next to a bank of toilets. I've heard that there are some in less palatial buildings that have no couches at all, and if you wish to rest you have to just sit on the toilet seat. No thank you. I would rather sit on the ground by a nice tree, if I feel tired, than on a toilet seat.

When we approached the door, I saw a sign that said 'Restrooms for customers only. For key, please see attendant'.

I touched Sam's arm and pointed to the sign. She smiled. "I'm not a religious girl. One of the reasons I am with you tonight. I don't pretend to know where our magic comes from, any more than your own. But no lock may bar us." She reached out her hand and turned the handle.

I don't know if I felt/heard the ocean like roar of magic being used, if I did it was very subtle. But the door opened easily.

The extent of what I know about Sam's lineage is hearsay. And not much of that. The tale is: in ancient times the gods gathered their most faithful servants in the animal kingdom and gave them the ability to take the form of man. (This was before humans lost their power and left the fae). To act as their investigators and avengers. They were called the Hounds of the Gods, which apparently meant hunter, as dogs had not been bred separate from wolves yet. Hunting dogs take their name from the Hounds of the Gods not the other way around. No one knows how they get their assignments but they live in quiet contemplation serving the gods as givers of charity among the poor until they hear a calling and somehow know where to go and what to do. It is said in the beginning they could move smoothly between their body and the form of the most perfect specimens of their ancestral beast. And the first humans called them werewolves, werebears, wereboars according to their beastial nature. Because that meant man-wolf...et al; and they were frightened of them because they brought the wrath of the gods. And eventually as humanity turned their eyes from the Ancients and to new gods there were tales of the were-fae being devils and monsters.

Today, since they primarily wed within their kind, they had features of many animals when they wear their beastial nature. It was almost unheard of for them to choose not to follow their lineage into service. But it would seem that if they didn't they would use the adapted human term werebeast. At least I presumed so from what I had heard from Sam tonight.

In addition to their beastial nature, they had several powers that even a secular girl like me would say seemed particularly suited for their work: no lock could bar them (as I believe I just witnessed), they were immune from magical attack (as I saw when Sam faced my brother), they had perfect direction of not only north south east and west, but also 'which way is the bad man's house?' or even 'which way is the fish merchant?'. Also, they always knew if they were being lied to. I had heard they always know the truth behind the lie. But I couldn't be certain until I saw it or Sam and I had a chance to discuss who she was and what brought her to my service.

Sam spoke to me as we entered the lavatory. "I chose this for the privacy, not for the mirrors. But I don't know how it works and they're here if you need them. We need you to glamour your face. You are one of the more recognizable faces in the country and we are fugitives. I'm hoping you can tone things down and look mixed perhaps or at least low born." She blinked at me as I stared at her. "How much experience do you have changing your appearance?"

"None," I said.

"Not even when you were traveling so you wouldn't be mobbed?" She asked.

"We had guards so we wouldn't be mobbed. But when we travel my parents want us recognized. How else will people know how to treat us." I explained.

"Well do you know how to glamour your appearance? Can you make yourself look low born?"

"First question, yes it is something my teachers stressed. Second question, I believe I can."  
I looked in the mirror, even though I didn't need to. This was my first time and it might require fine tuning.

High born faerie had a light. The light of our power I assume. So we all had hair that could be described as looking metallic or like spun gemstones, though it was far softer than human hair. Our version of blonde looked like ultrafine silver wire and went through almost every color in existence.

So the first thing I must do is dull my hair from a burgundy garnet sheen to more of a rich red velvet color. Still something a human would never naturally wear, but more uncommon than rare or unheard of in low born faerie.

Next I focused on my skin taking my pale buttery caramel flesh that had an almost translucent glow like the sun moving through actual confectionary. I dulled it until it was almost within the human range, if a human existed without blemish, scar, or visible pores. It was maybe twenty minutes of work including fine tuning and randomly spot checking all over my body. To make sure I'd gotten it even.

Sam agreed it was complete and then she pulled my hair into what I'd heard called a ponytail. Which she then wrapped to my head and secured with bobby pins. This would keep it tucked into the helmet but also would help with my disguise when I wasn't wearing the helmet, as I had only been seen publicly with my hair up a handful of times at formal state dinners and never like this.  
I was fine and happy like this. But the public's perception of Princess Catarina of the House of Valentine, which was nothing like the real me, would never be seen in stolen soiled coveralls with her hair messily twisted together and pinned to her scalp.

I followed Sam into the small mercantile attached to the fuel station when she went to give the workboy money for motorcycle fuel.

When I saw the racks of convenience foods. I realized I was quite hungry.  
I hadn't eaten much at Sam's Accolade. I was too nervous. Both in the good way because of Sam seated only six places away from me at the foot of our table. But also in a bad way, as the Mad Prince was staring at me with what appeared to be a melange of hate and hunger.

"Sam. I am hungry." I announced. "Look here Sam, they have chocolate in bar form. I have only had it from a serving tray. But I saw it unpacked once. It came in a white box wrapped in tissue paper. Are these bars better? They are certainly large. I wouldn't want to eat more than one. But that certainly isn't much variety. A single piece of barred chocolate that is the same throughout... what?"

Sam was giving me a look. I glanced up and the workboy was giving me a look as well. It would seem I said something wrong.

"She doesn't get in off the farm much." Sam explained.

"Don't know of any farmers who haven't heard of candy bars. Or one wearing a janitor uniform. But honestly miss, I don't care. Do your thing." The workboy said.

Sam said that a sugary snack would just make me crash and we had more to do tonight. So she promised we would find a restaurant soon and that she would get me candy another time. She asked if she got it now if she could trust me to save it. But I had to be honest with her and say no. "Thats alright." Sam said. "If all you've ever had is box chocolate anything you find here will taste like floor sweepings covered in chocolate scented wax. But there are nice bar chocolates, as you call them, in larger food stores and other places."

Sam told me that we would head toward the highway and find a truck stop. Which turned out to be a kind of all hours restaurant that catered to humans who drove goods from place to place in large vehicles for a living. She said they tended to have good food because when catering to people who drove for a living it was too easy to just wait til the next town if the food was better.

As it turned out they offered beef stew which was a very popular starter course at faerie feasts. But I decided to take a chance and ordered a hamburger sandwich with the traditional accompaniment of a potato sectioned into sticks and fried in deep oil.  
I had only had one once before. After hearing about them so much on the small amount of human entertainment I was permitted to view, I requested one for my birthday dinner. But since it was interpreted by our chef I think it lost something. I asked that the human hotel chef prepare it but was told that would be unseemly.

However a human certainly prepared the one at the truck stop. It was a tiny bit crunchy on the outside, almost to the point of being slightly charred on the edges. And the potato sections were delightful. Salty and crisp. In the end I would say I was pleased to have the experience, but I enjoyed the potatoes more than the sandwich.

Many humans came to the table because fae were uncommon in this place it would seem. Sam was very rude to them. But in my belief as a princess of the Eastern Court, these humans were my subjects in a way. At least enough that I didn't want to be rude to them unless they misbehaved.

I will write one meeting down with the understanding it is a typical example of at least ten similar meetings.

Human: Are you some kind of elf?

Me: While there are three kinds of elf, that are not related though they are each called elf. I am none of them. Unfortunately no pureblood elves remain. I am a faerie.

Human: Fairies are little people with wings, I've seen them on tv. (Or in one case in real life when the human was a child and he went to the Western Court.)

Me: Indeed you are correct. But if you listen closely I didn't say fairy, I said faerie.

Human: I don't hear a difference.

Me: It is subtle. Let me try to exaggerate it for you. Tiny individuals with wings. Usually butterfly or dragonfly but feathered or mammalian sometimes, are fairys. Fair-ees. My race which has some common ancestors with elves but are often stronger magically and have round ears. The lineage of our King and Queen is faerie. Pronounced fay-ree. And third is all magical races together often colloquially called the fae because of this exact confusion but the proper designation is Faery, pronounced fayrr-ree. Was I more clear this time?

(Whether yes or no they were already distracted by something I said.)

Human:So you can do magic? Do some magic right now. I want to see.

Me: Unfortunately, I am not a magically adept individual. That is why I am working polishing floors.

Most took this in good humor and thanked me for meeting them and taking the time to teach them the differences of the three 'f's. The few that did not take their disappointment as well as others, Sam was right there to encourage them to move on.

When we finished our meal and left, a human jumped out and grabbed me as we walked behind the building to where Sam had parked.

"If you catch a faerie they have to give you their gold to release them. Now give me your gold." This human seemed a little drunk and that strange mix of jolly and dangerous.

I decided to err on the side of caution. "Good sir, I'm sorry. I'm afraid that's ridiculous. That tale has been going around this country since we came here. It's been going around Europe centuries before that, with us, with leprechauns, with tomten; but none of it's true. We don't have magical caches of gold. I'd be wearing a beautiful dress and I would sing and play theatrics with my friends all day if I didn't have to work for my wages just like you or any other person on this earth."

He looked puzzled for a moment then clearly had a thought, saying, "You're just saying that so I'll release you."

"You'll release her regardless." Sam said. "I was happy to let my friend be nice to you. Because your drunk, not much older than us, and clearly don't have a weapon. But we have a train to catch."

"Oh I have a weapon, I just knew I didn't need it against two girls who are both smaller than my sisters. And I never had a problem fighting them, even both together. But I can pull it, if it will stop the bullshit and get me my gold."

He reached toward his pocket and Sam grabbed his wrist. He struggled with her for a moment to assure himself he couldn't get away. Then his hand that had loosely been on my neck began to tighten. "We can play this any way you want." He said, beginning to choke me.

Sam immediately had her fingers pushed into the loose fist of the hand she held, before he could tighten, wrapping her fingers around his thumb. "It's a relief to hear you say that. I want to play it where you let my friend go or I break your thumb."

"Come on girls. You can't blame me for trying. C'mon." He released me quickly and took a step away. He didn't go farther because Sam still held his thumb.

Sam looked at me questioningly, more than willing to break his thumb anyway just for threatening me. My parents would probably demand his death or at minimum two broken limbs, not a single digit. But, being always reminded I was near worthless, I didn't value the sanctity of my person to any significant degree. And as a lifetime victim I hated to see anyone hurt. So I not only didn't tell her to break his thumb, I picked up a small rock.

"If you're going to brain him you'll need a bigger rock." Sam said.

"Oh Sam, you're so vicious and violent. There will be no breaking of young boyish heads today. I want to show him something." I explained.

I closed my hand over the rock and after a moment of doing my concentration breathing. Slow and even. In through the nose, out through the mouth; and focusing my power.  
I opened my hand and was holding a gold nugget. I reached out to hand it to him. "Faerie gold. It will turn back into a rock at sunrise or if it is touched with iron. Anyone who buys gold knows to check. And that is the only gold any faerie has that isn't earned or inherited just like a human would. Tell your friends."

He was so shocked looking at the gold I don't know for sure if he heard me. And as we walked away Sam pointed out he might line up a buyer who isn't used to buying gold and kidnap a young faerie and make them change a whole basket of rocks and then deliver them.

I thought it was a ridiculous stretch. But I still made her come with me to chase him down in the parking lot to say, "And before you get any ideas, I can only do one. Anyone at my age and experience level can only do one. And anyone who could do more than one has other powers you couldn't deal with."

He looked truly confused but said okay.

Now I was comfortable returning to Sam's bike feeling like I had done some good. "Are we really rushing to catch a train." I asked.

"We are near the train yards and I'm thinking we could jump a freight train heading in the right direction. Travel while we sleep. Get off and drive while we're awake tomorrow, to avoid the train security who are more active in the daytime. Do the same tomorrow night and we might be able to make the trip in two days."

"Why not just buy tickets and ride?" I asked.

"Two reasons. First because we are being trailed. We have to be. You've changed your look some. But they know you can do that. So even two girls traveling together of our basic ages will be suspect. So we don't want to stay around the same group of people long enough that they get to know us at all.  
Second, my motorcycle can go faster than a train, and since it is not limited to tracks can go straighter than a train, and doesn't need to make stops every twenty miles or whatever."

"Okay," I said, I'd just been curious. I wasn't pushing for a change of plans.


	3. Chapter 3

Every fiber of my being wanted to protect my princess. That was why I came to the castle. To a degree that was why I didn't take my vows.  
My faith is shaky at the best of times. But I also tend to just coast along, taking the path of least resistance.  
And for one of my kind, that's the oath of service.

People who know me well might say I never would willingly pledge my life to serving all the fae.  
And that has truth to it, there's no denying.

I certainly can't say whether I felt called to protect her or I just wanted to really bad.

Honestly I didn't care. And at least in my theology the gods would want me to do anything I felt this driven to.  
Despite the fact that in all the old stories the gods were much more the sort who played games with our lives and wanted us to happily be pawns.  
Not to mention the fact that most of the human gods. Scathach, Lugh, Cerridwen and the like were all real fae, powerful, but still mortal and possessing real living foibles and desires.  
So there was honestly no reason to actually think our gods were any less people who just happened to be powerful and knowledgeable beyond our understanding.

But I had neither drive nor time to philosophize anymore.  
I had left the expectation that I be a philosopher or at least a reflective person. And believe me it was not a moment too soon as far as I was concerned.

I willingly entered the Court Guard. And then I willingly abandoned that to enter the Princess' personal service.  
I was happy to take responsibility for Princess Cat's safety and well being. That's why I was there. I wanted that responsibility. And somehow I guess I thought I could enter into that service without thinking about the duties that might come with it.

I have no excuse. I, of all people, should have known better. My people, my entire tribe practically, had devoted their life to service. Not only that but had devoted their lives to service as soldiers and police and yet primarily worked as farmers and caretakers for children and the infirm.

So I don't know why I was surprised when my commitment to act as the princess' guard would soon leave me not only be responsible for her and two maids of a sort. But my own disgraced cousin and a human witch.

Although it's hypocritical for me to even mention my cousin's disgrace.

The princess and I had not even made it all the way west the first time we saw both of our faces on the human news.

Apparently the story the Court was offering was that the prince had saved his sister when I assaulted her.  
Now, it would seem, I have been stripped of my Guard position and officially banished from the Eastern Court. Also, the traumatized princess had been sent to relatives in Europe to recover and would be out of the public eye for some time.

It was that 'banishment' that led to my meeting my cousin. Who had been stripped of her position, if not formally banished, for the crime of loving a human.

It was still two days before we would even begin looking for the princess' maids, so we were alone in a new city. We'd both been here but only with our families. Which meant very strict supervision in both cases. This meant while we might occasionally see a landmark we remembered, we might as well have been strangers to the western shore.

I had walked down to get some strawberry and cream pastries the princess liked.  
I had awakened before her, which so far had proven rare.  
The princess had really pulled herself together. Just over a week before she had used 'we're going to need servants at the new house' as a reason to let her maids into our confidence. Now she had made us both breakfast every morning that she rose first.

So this morning I had felt that while I was not much use in the kitchen, I owed her something for breakfast, giving me the pastry idea.

"So this is where you ended up." My cousin said walking up to me. Although I didn't know her yet.

"Excuse me." I said.

"Let me guess, you saved the princess from her mad sib. He took exception from being bested in his attempts to abuse and probably rape his sister. Well it's all to the positive if she's away from him wherever they had to send her."

"Excuse me," I repeated. Who was this person and what was her angle, even talking to me.

"Sorry. Victoria Vega. They call me Tori. I used to be a Fox in the Western Court. Until I was turned out for conduct unbecoming my office." She said.

I centered myself with a single slow smooth breath deep in and out as I'd been trained to do from birth.  
I tried to do it nonchalantly as I accessed my power. She was definitely a Fox, her scent said at least that much clearly and it lacked the slight sweetness of rot we all picked up if we turned to the 'dark side'. Our powers came with the caveat that if we went bad you could smell it. Well we could and any other number of races with stronger than human noses. So I knew she was my cousin and whatever she may have done, she had never done anything the powers that be thought was bad enough to stain her soul.

The Gods' Foxes were a similar race to The Hounds of the Gods.

The stories said they were charged with being the Gods' eyes and ears while we were the claws and teeth. They could take forms smaller and slipperier: foxes, cats, ferrets and the like and for similar reasons of interbreeding they had similar mongrel forms to us. Just with a different mix.  
In these tribes that valued community closeness and filial loyalty above all else, every Hound was my sibling and every Fox my cousin.

"As it turns out, the official story doesn't even have that much truth, cousin." I said. "The princess is in town here, with me. I believe they are thinking she will come forward to call out the lie, banking on her not knowing how jealously the powers that be guard their power. Or that they will much more likely hand her back than protect her, That was precisely what her majesty wanted to do. However I have a great deal of experience with the duplicity of nobles. I may not be worldly by anyone's definition. But I don't permit deception."

A human, who I thought was just waiting in line like we were, turned and joined the conversation. "What are you doing so near the Western Court, if you don't intend to show yourself and ask for asylum?"

I almost silently stared her down, like I would any human who joined the conversation out of the blue. But my cousin took her hand and looked at me as attentively and expectantly as if she had asked the question.

"Her majesty, the princess, doesn't need the pomp and paparazzi that comes with royalty. She would be quite happy to live in secret. I would be happy to guard and attend her while she did so. So our presence in the Western Court. Living less than an hour's drive to the Court itself, is a 'for emergency purposes only' plan.  
Firstly, we have to live somewhere. But also the Western Court has the greatest media presence by far.  
Where the princess being discovered in the Northern Court might still be covered up and the princess quietly returned to her parents. Here if we are discovered we go to the media on the front doorstep, so to speak, of the Western Court and within minutes there is a scandal heard around the world plus the presence of people powerful enough to protect her from anyone her brother or even her parents could send to retrieve her or make her have an 'accident'."

"Genius." The human said and my cousin smiled at her so joyfully and kissed the hand she held. Hands where they wore matching gold bands.

I think I began to see why my cousin was relieved of duty. The Court would never stand for this. They would have no problem with her sex, like humans might. Although human influence has changed it from being the complete non-issue it once was. Before the constant interaction of our cultures. But partnering with a human, when there were already halflings and quarterlings and mongrels everywhere and humans already outnumbered us a hundredfold. That would be unacceptable.

I could mate with a Fox. Mate as in pairbond. The fact that I could breed with one is obvious and doesn't need to be stated. And the absolute worst reaction would be the occasional eyeroll. I could mate with a goblin with only slightly ruder results. Many of what are today considered tribes or races are actually mixtures that were common enough to eventually form a new group over generations. And some tribes, like elves, no longer exist as tribes because of outbreeding.  
A Hound/Elf partners with another Hound/Elf because of similarities of experience, interest, and ability and twenty miles away another Hound/Elf does the same with a fourth.  
Of course the couples become friends when they meet, because of the same shared traits that attracted the partners to each other. The children of these two couples marry because they've known each other all their lives and have fallen in love as children do. After a few generations you have a new tribe.

I'm not going to go into a magical anthropology lesson. I'll just say our cultural ideal of 'marry who you love' absolutely positively does not include humans. I could smell my cousin's partner was a witch, which meant she had fae blood somewhere. Which might sway liberal fae, and I for one was just as glad to see her married and happy as I would be with any cousin who had found love. But royal courts are not known for their progressive views.

"So is this your wife, cousin?" I asked, smiling in what I hoped was a non-judgemental manner.

My cousin looked wary. "Yes this is my wife, Jade Vega."

I shook her hand warmly as my cousin said, "Jade, darling, this is my cousin. Samantha of Shay Abbey, right cousin?"

"That's what they called me on the news. I prefer Sam. And while I fostered there, due to maternal neglect, and I would surely love to be a Shay. I am actually from Puckett House."

"Alright." Tori said. "Jade darling, this is the princess' companion, Sam Puckett."

My cousin's bride offered me a thin lipped half smile. I was betting that she and Tori had faced sufficient bigotry that a fae, especially one from a faerie court, would not be considered a friend.

She did ask why Tori wouldn't know my name if we were cousins. It was explained that we were tribal cousins, not immediate relations.  
I would think she must know her partner well enough to know that culturally, in our own tribes, we did see each other as being as close to us as a human would see their aunt's daughter.

It was this assumption of relationship, the fact she passed the smell test and that all the fae were very intimate with touching and hugs all the way around. These reasons were why I invited them to accompany me back to our apartment.

The princess was intentionally segregated so she wouldn't have allies in her home. But even she had felt the sting of loneliness only seeing me and whatever human happened by.

Of course the princess was thrilled to see them. And between neglect and isolation, she had no idea that the average faerie royal would find my cousins partnership repugnant. She was just excited to really talk to a real live human who didn't view her as a curiosity but as a person, so she viewed her the same way.

Although there were questions. Questions like if it was true that humans stole faerie babies and left human babies in their place. And of course Jade said that it was the other way around.

The princess could not believe this and was shocked when I informed her it was true but that it was part of early battles between our people and against the fact that they outnumbered us since the beginning and were growing all the time. I reminded her that our ancestors at this time were terrified at being outnumbered less than ten to one. Where we now faced a hundred to one odds. These odds were the only thing that did manage to keep things friendly. We had magic but they had sheer numbers. And as Jade proved, sometimes they had magic too.

In those early days the faerie would steal a human baby, I explained. Then they would wrap a log in a blanket and glamour it into seeming like a sleeping infant.

The babies would be taken back to be raised and studied by our sages to try to get a grasp of what we were dealing with. Then when the baby turned back into a log the humans tended to believe the sleeping baby had been stolen and replaced right then. In an instant.

The princess made as good of an impression on my cousin and her wife as she had made on me.

Although I admit it seemed to me that Tori loved her because they both were overly nice and friendly and accommodating. While Jade liked her because the princess fussed over her and seemed to be so happy to know Jade that it kind of spilled over.

Spilled over enough that she shared with them how bad she felt that we were supported by my family. Just like the brother and cousin thing and doubled by the fact that culturally we were in the business of public service. What belonged to any of us belonged to all of us. So even though I had never taken my vows my family, (I mean foster family. My only immediate relatives were a sister who had taken her vows and lived and worked in the Eastern Court and a mother who was living off the same largesse I was living off).  
Shay Abbey quietly paid our rent and gave me a monthly stipend for food and incidentals.

Tori said that Jade felt the same way about taking Tori's family's help. This was said accompanied by Jade saying, "Tori," in a warning tone like she did when my cousin said anything personal about her.

Tori continued on, to say that Jade had suggested they try to start a business as a freelance Fox. Investigating for lower level and mixed blood fae. 'Average man on the street' fae. But so far things were a little slow in starting. However, she thought with a Hound as a partner, she might be able to give that trickle of business a real boost.

I advised that my first priority would always be the princess and I was not even comfortable being away from her for working hours.  
Jade chimed in with the fact that in Hollywood with something as unusual as fae private detectives, because that's what they were seen as in the human world, most of the work was bodyguarding celebrities and their kids. Which the princess could help with just using her inborn faerie talents of being stronger and more resilient than a human opponent and glamouring disguises. So I wouldn't need to leave her behind.  
Jade continued that she refused to be a glorified babysitter; but the princess, with her obvious playful and exuberant personality, would probably be very successful.

Her majesty, between being exactly the sort of person Jade painted her as, and having had no idea of what obnoxious little menaces children, especially mischievous fae children, are thought the position of 'glorified babysitter' sounded like great fun.

Not to mention it sounded like a job Gieuxmera and Dicelina could also do. Because one had at least the same magical skills if not training she had and Gieuxmera could be an imposing and physically powerful guard that would almost definitely be a draw to business. This brought up the fact that we would need to meet the maids day after tomorrow and the princess inviting Tori and Jade to a fun afternoon enjoying the amusements on the pier and looking for her friends and servants.

A plan Tori said yes to, and Jade, no. Which initiated a short whispered argument that once again clearly showed that Tori was in control. In a loving, coaxing, but still adamant way.

The next morning our new friends met us at the pier and we wandered around. Looking at shops and tourist booths. We saw two human magicians. Who I am almost positive were just prestidigitators and a mixed blood fae who was a small slim female doing feats of strength.  
The humans ate it up but they really were not particularly interesting to me.  
I would have jokingly suggested the princess do something similar. But she was so sheltered I don't think she understood in everyday fae culture using your inborn differences for the entertainment of humans was considered only one step above serving them. Which even the richest and most famous humans could only get the lowest, weakest, poorest fae to do.

I blame the Faerie Courts.

Because its not as simple as culturally the fae see themselves as better than humans.  
Its terribly complicated and multilayered, but in the most simplistic terms, its more that they consider themselves more regal than humans. With a bit of they view humans as old enemies they have reached an uneasy peace with and live among, but can never safely be too comfortable with.

The way certain Asian and Arabic cultures see America or England, France, Spain or Germany. Whatever western culture they were violated and appropriated by the worst.

There is that same mix of aping and at the same time disdain for the other.

Just as I was thinking all this, we saw another performer start to gather an audience.  
This one was a mixed blood faerie. That would be even less accepted than the girl would be. Because of course if the faerie courts saw other fae, (what they privately sometimes called 'lesser fae') as being too regal and refined for human amusement; someone of their blood, even mixed, would be worse.

He was a few inches taller than a pureblood would be and had a scruff of stubble on his cheeks chin and neck, where a full blooded faerie was naturally hairless. And it would seem he also came with a tiny pitchman.

"Step right up. Step right up and see the faerie strongman. Step right up and marvel at amazing feats of muscular power. Step right up friends. Right on up to the line. Cuddle in close, there's room for everyone." He was clearly of mixed faerie blood as well. Since I couldn't be sure of his mix I couldn't tell if he was an early adolescent or just of a short and young featured mix.

He did have a boyish scent though. And his unruly mop of dark curls and friendship with an older and much larger companion made me think of the princess' maids. So I turned away, scanning the crowd in hopes of finding them.

As someone who was unusually strong even for a Hound, I was neither interested nor impressed at feats of strength.  
I did turn around when the man was juggling two beer kegs and his young friend, impressed by the size and unweildyness of the props more than their weight.

With the large aluminum kegs and his friend sitting up straight and stiff as he caught him under his bottom and tossed him up again. I'm pretty sure the poor kid almost got brained by a heavy keg more than once. But it was a spectacle. So much so that when the little man passed the hat I held a dollar out.

When he walked past me to collect it, he stopped looking surprised and scared and a little sheepish. "Sam!" He said. "Have I got a story for you."

Suddenly that little tickle that had played across the back of my mind since I'd first caught his scent, coalesced into an utter certainty that I faced two maids, of a sort, who had somehow found a disguise beyond my wildest expectations.


	4. Chapter 4

Sam's cousin and her admittedly beautiful, but not particularly friendly, wife offered to drive my maids to our apartment. With the agreement that they would not discuss this most interesting of developments, there was no denying the maids' disguises went deeper than her my glamour did.

They followed us, although they knew the way. I would think it was at least partially out of deference to me. But it might have been wholly practical, that we had the keys so if they arrived first they would only be sitting anyway.

As soon as we were inside Dicelina immediately busied herself familiarizing herself with the kitchen and making tea. I'd done my best stepping up when it was Sam and I; stepping in to help without complaint. But it wouldn't have even occurred to her to let me work in my own kitchen right in front of her. Whether this was her first time in the apartment or not..

When tea was served her I asked, "Dicelina, you must tell us how this came about. Mustn't she, Sam?"

"Indeed, Your Majesty." Sam agreed.

"Yes, Princess, certainly. But first I think I'd like to suggest something if I may." And she actually waited for my small nod of permission before continuing. "I think we all must, for the good of the disguises, treat Gieuxmera and I as if we were male. Using the masculine pronouns, he/his etcetera, and calling me Dice, and Gieuxmera Gieux, or I've been calling him G-man. As far as how this happened. Her Majesty may remember me speaking of my Aunt Fergine. She's an odd goose with an interest in experimentation. I don't know whether it was G-man's height or the fact that, in my family, my sex is considered a regrettable happenstance of fate that will keep me from the success my mind and skills might otherwise garner. But she suggested she make us men. With a spell she was working on rather than glamour. So we would pass tests that glamour alone wouldn't. Plus she would do it herself, as a favor to me. If we accepted the stipulation that she'd never done it before and couldn't guarantee results. Results that were good but a little superficial. All changes were cosmetic, there was no change to our intimate organs and potentially no change to our ability to bear children.  
I might smell more like a boy, Lady Sam assures me I do. But I have brownie and dybbuk blood and both of those tribes have daughters of a more earthy nature. They might seem more boyish than a full blooded faerie lad, if going from scent alone. Plus, since I am early in my maidenhood, a magical change from feminine to masculine hormones had less to work with than it might have in a year or two and she could offer no guarantees. She said her best guess was I would likely mature more androgynous than I might have otherwise but I probably would never attain the beard growth Gieux has, just as a for instance. Since male dybbuks, at least, have very full and handsome beards and faerie are hairless across gender lines this could go either way and neither would necessarily interfere in me passing as born male.  
G-man is mixed Mountain Elf who sometimes grow beards, sometimes not. So if anything I should be a little more likely to be hairy. And that might still happen, no one knows at this point."

"But how do you feel, Dici – Dice? Do you feel like boys or girls?" I asked.

""Well, you see, Your Majesty. That's the thing. Trying to find that line between wishes and were. The difference between us each wishing we'd been born male, but I, at least, was fine being a woman. I won't speak for Gieux.  
I need to remember, when explaining to you, Your Majesty, that you've never been outside of Court. In mixed and lowborn faerie and a lot of other fae cultures gender can be fluid and is considered near-immaterial.  
We are an androgynous people anyway. We outgrew 'men's work' and 'women's work' centuries ago. We have never had the issue with who a person lay with or lived with or married that humans had.  
Anywhere but the tradition bound Courts, I would not even face the prejudice and structure I have seen.  
I chose to serve in Court because at least my immediate line has for generations, if not my entire family. I chose it even though I knew things were done very differently there. And my distaff status would be seen as a liability to my ambition. So I love the boys clothes. I love the unlimited opportunity I enjoy. And because of growing up in that Court culture I have had the 'if only I was a boy', 'I wish I was a boy' thoughts my entire life. But wishing it because my life would be better with a male's privilege while also knowing at least intellectually I could get many of the same improvements just by leaving the Court. I will say this. I liked my body just fine as it was. Now with a bit more muscle and bulk. This is fine too. I prefer the old one because I am more used to it. But as an impenetrable disguise that will make both me and the Lady I serve safer. I am perfectly happy to get used to and learn to love the new me.  
But do I feel different? Do I feel more like a boy than I did before? It's complicated, but maybe the answer is no because if you offered me the choice of staying how I am or actually getting the same equipment most boys have, I'd stay this way. So I guess I would be a girl who is happy to live as a boy, because I don't care about clothes or pronouns or the perceptions of strangers. I like the shortness and simplicity of my new name. That's not complicated and I have no mixed feelings there. G, on the other hand loves it. Don't you G?"

"I always wanted to be a boy." Gieux said, but he was too busy staring at the computer to elaborate even a little. The princess had spent much of her spare time, since she discovered the internet, collecting cute baby animal pictures and the screen-saver shuffled through her photo file. So the jolly oaf was hypnotized.

Dice and Gieux continued to work the pier while we tried to get F&H Warding off the ground. Tori wanted to call it Fox and Hound, but Sam explained that since Sam never took her vows and Tori had been relieved of duty, it wasn't exactly, seemly.  
As I understood it, because of the clandestine nature of their duties Foxes must be a little more lenient in their ideas and discipline. I also understood that she was still officially a Fox because the Court dismissed her, her order did not. But I also knew that that was all politics and semantics, she would never be given another assignment. And whether Fox was technically correct or not, Hound certainly wasn't and Sam could not bring herself to claim it, even passively with our business name.

Jade had a problem with warding and said that humans would see it as an archaic use of the term. Sam reminded her that while we wouldn't turn work away without discussion, humans were not our target client base and among the fae, warding was a fairly common term.

Things had been not going as well as we all might have hoped for a little over a week when Tori came into the apartment beside herself with happiness. "I got the Cirque Magique. Well the Cirque Magique de Montagne Tortue to be specific but I got it! This could be it, girls. This could be our break."

"Tori, my love, please sit down and tell us what you're talking about. Then we can be excited too." Jade said.

Tori let Jade settle her in a chair, but as soon as she started talking she jumped up again. At least now she was talking sense. "Have you heard of the Cirque Magique?"

"Absolutely" I said, forgotten feelings rushing in "All I ever wanted was to go. When I was little. A circus/carnival on the back of a faery tortoise they say is the size of a mountain, but hes at least the size of a foothill. What would make a kid happier? Every year I asked to go for my birthday. Every year my parents said we could. But we never did. Finally I stopped asking. After the second time they took my brother but not me saying it was a special event held there, not the normal show and so no children were allowed. If they said we were going I wouldn't get any other present whether we went or not."

Jade, Tori, and Sam looked at each other, then Sam said, "We don't know what to say Your Highness. We all feel for you. I am so touched by the thought of your plight I'd be in tears if I didn't think that would just make you feel worse. But we aren't surprised. The King and Queen are famous for how poorly they treat you."

We all sat in silence for a moment. Me feeling bad about the fact that apparently my primary claim to fame was being a miserable mistreated waif. And I'm sure them thinking about what a pathetic bean pie I was.

Then Lady Sam started to speak. "I actually have been there. When I was younger the family I was staying with was called out to take care of an issue they had with one of their employees accosting and assaulting people. It was a pretty bad scene but my friend and I had the run of the place for two weeks while he was investigating. But I wont go into that, I don't want you to feel worse, Your Majesty."

"No, Sam, I want to hear. I truly want to hear all about it. Yes I wanted to go there desperately as a child. And still do, very much so. But I love that place beyond my wanting to go there, wanting to see it for myself, I also want to hear all about it. I doubt there is a detail you know about it and your time there that I would be uninterested in. Sam I had never seen a candy bar when you met me. I used to call it 'chocolate in bar form'. I am not only interested in all your stories because you are my good friend and protector. You are also the only person I know who can ride a motorcycle. The only one who has ever seen a wolf. If not the only one whose been to The Cirque Magique certainly the only one who has been behind the scenes. I could listen to your tales for the rest of my life." I paused not sure if I'd go on then finding myself saying, "I hope to." I knew it was possible that this would be interpreted as my desire that she be my friend and companion for all my days. I hoped and believed that she did not know how strongly I felt for her.

I thought of a way to downplay my interest in my companion, for her sake, without lying or changing the subject too abruptly. "But first let's listen to Tori. My friend, you say you  _got_  the Cirque Magique? Could you elaborate? I can only assume you don't mean you somehow own the circus?"

"Certainly not, Your Majesty. For the first time the Cirque will be allowing in humans." She began. "To publicize this they will be allowing the human media. Since tickets start at 500 dollars they understand that this might be all some humans will ever see. So they are allowing the media in for an entire afternoon. To film and observe rehearsal, to speak to fae that travel with the Cirque and they want our entire team to do security. Sam and yourself, Jade, me, Dice and G, all of us and this will get our name out. It will be like a free national commercial for F& H Warding."

"That's incredible, Tori." I turned to Sam, "Well I guess you won't be the only one I know who has been behind the scenes for long."

The boys, I was forcing myself to think of them both that way; Dice and G were overjoyed. Both to be able to leave the boardwalk and what they'd be doing and where they'd be doing it instead. Dice continued to be terrified about being hit in the face with a stray keg. G tried to explain that he may not be the brightest but he is physically sound and he knew exactly were Dice was and where those kegs were during that entire section of the act. He assured Dice that the kegs needed to be that close but that he, G, was in control of them at all times.

Dice just pressed his lips together in a line like he was weighing responses then he said it only needed to happen once.

"I was worried about the same thing when I caught your act." Sam said. "But he's right. If he's not going to stretch like a taffy man, the kegs have to be close enough to you that he can catch them. You should both probably talk to some of the clowns and tumblers at the Cirque, I'd bet they can give you advice."

"But first we're going to need to get you some professional clothing." Jade said, speaking up. "You can't represent the company in what you wear every day. Same goes for the princess in fact. I have business clothes and Tori and Sam sent away to their Abbeys for formal fatigues like they wear when working at Court. Sam's unadorned of course as she is not a Hound at all. And Tori's with her insignia of office. But we need to find clothes for our boys and Her Highness, the princess."

"I recommend a thrift store, if Her Highness doesn't object. As it will look odd if five of the six of us have clothes that are clearly brand new." Tori suggested

I made very clear that I didn't care. Because I could quickly see that it wouldn't be good for there to even be the possibility in anyone's mind that this will be the first dress I owned that wasn't either a priceless objet d'art crafted by the finest faerie artisans or from the local discount store and bought with an eye toward comfort, at Sam's insistence. Which I supported that having always worn a minimum of four layers, many of which I needed to be laced into it was nice to get away from that. But what I didn't know was what a thrift was, and why these weren't called dress stores or department stores, both of which have a clearly understandable name.

So Sam explained the concept of buying used clothing. That one didn't even know who they came from. That is bizarre to me. I was familiar with the concept of passing clothes on in a family. Or I give my last season clothes to lesser nobility. But just walking into a store and buying clothes that a stranger used to own, usually donated from what Sam said. So in a way it was like buying someone else's garbage. Once my friends assured me I was totally safe. It sounded terribly exciting. I wasn't sure because I felt a little odd after wearing that human's uniform I escaped in. But Sam assured me that was just being a little overwhelmed with everything that happened so fast.

When we went to bed that night I asked Sam to tell me about her time with the Cirque Magique. Of course Sam slept in my room. Although she balked at sleeping in my bed.

When she suggested I get a proper otuu'ata after growing up sleeping in human beds, I'd hoped she intended to join me. Many Faery races including my own, and Sam's for that matter, are very affectionate and cuddly. For that reason a otuu'ata or nest bed is usual in our homes. A round basket about a hand-span more than a tall man's length in any direction, with a straw or with the nobility wool stuffed mattress and then a fat feather tick or in the nobility down tick on top. Many, even most among the nobility, slept with at least two servants in case anything was needed in the night and for comfort and massage. Working classes just slept with all their siblings. But my parents told me since I must learn to wait on my husband's needs there was no logical reason for me to have servants in the night. And I would be going to live at the home of my betrothed so there was really no reason for anyone to get used to sleeping with me.

Sam said loudly railed against this treatment. Then she turned around and said it was untoward for a princess to have her guards sleep with her. Although I knew for a fact that it was standard practice with other nobility. Sam said that no one lower than a lady in waiting would be appropriate. And I knew she did not suspect that I was fond of her in a different way than that. That I thought about kissing her and touching, hugging her. That I even thought about massaging her not just being massaged by her.  
By all rights she should have done the cooking and cleaning while it was just the two of us. Any noble I knew would have expected it. Even simple landholders would expect a guard to fill in if there was no one else available.  
I had certainly never done it before. But there were books and videos on the internet. And cleaning was just making the room look like it did before it got dirty. I was absolutely fine to do it. Happy even to be her equal partner in that way. But for her to say I am too much of a princess to sleep with when I'm not too much of a princess to make her breakfast is simply foolishness.  
It was almost enough to make me wonder if maybe she had tender feelings toward me as well. The fact that she knew that her ache for me would become unbearable if she had to sleep beside me, often waking in each others arms. That sounded like far too much for a princess in exile who even at the prime of her value was worth near nothing to hope for. But hope is all I had for most of my life and I slept lightly but I dreamed hard.

Sam slept in an armchair with an ottoman. Officially that was mine to. Officially she had a thin bed roll in the corner. I was the princess and she had few needs, so even though it had all been bought with the largesse of her foster family, it was all mine. And each night as she spoke to me, soothing me into slumber she would ask if she might sit in my chair. But today I asked her to kindly sit on the edge of my bed. I immediately and slyly took her hand just grabbing it as she sat down putting my energy into seeming nonchalant. When I was feeling very chalant indeed. So as she sat, I immediately grabbed her hand, excitedly asking, "So your foster father was called to work at the Cirque when you were a kid?"

"Foster brother, actually. My best friend had a brother who was twelve years older than her who she lived with and who I came to live with. He was a real character. An odd one but a real good guy.  
Now he and his sister were half Fox and half Hound.  
One of the reasons we have a reputation where the Foxes don't as much, is we are the enforcers of the gods. We mostly punish not investigate and if there is any detective work going on it is most likely to be hunting someone down.

So the brother's modus operendai when he was called to a place if there weren't enough clues he would start gathering objects from the area. Sticks, trash, whatever he found and he would make these sculptures. It was so strange but these sculptures always had something to do with the situation. Like if he didn't find a clue he'd make one. But even if I just saw a man made of sticks or a pyramid of tires and glass he could look at the finished product and this realization would come over his face as if it was a signpost clearly telling him where to go and what to do there."

She shifted as she spoke and I released her hand. Placing my hand on her leg a short three count after she moved. That was the game I played. Trying to maintain some contact with her at all times. While trying to not have it be clear to her what I was doing.

"So what happened? Ooh, I have to hear everything." I said. A plan suddenly popping into my mind.

"Well, obviously the magicians at a circus that exclusively caters to the Fae have to be very powerful wizards in their own right." Sam began.

"Ah yes, the circus!" I said, bouncing into her lap with excitement. Most of my body still on the bed but now my chest and arms were in her lap and my face was looking up at her from much closer. "Tell me about the circus Sam."

"Well, The Cirque Magique de Montagne Tortue, the Magical Tortoise Mountain Circus-" Sam began.

I interrupted her, rolling over. My head and shoulders in her lap, looking up at her. "Asoort Inesort At'ihouneot Uhout. So Entod." I said in our language. Still spoken in Court a fair amount, and I hear in the High Queen's Court almost exclusively. Out here in our new life this is the first I've spoken since leaving the palace. And all I'd said was the name and then 'In Faery'.

Sam said, "Exactly , Your Majesty." and I realized my mistake. All of this I had done tonight, and things I had done to a lesser extent before, was in an effort to move her toward being comfortable with me and think of me firstly as a friend.  
Faery while officially belonging to all of us was so used exclusively in Court in America today, most of the media honestly thought it was Faerie, not Faery. And thought it was the language of my tribe, not of my people as a whole.

All I could do is drop it quickly and move on. "Tell me about it please Sam, tell me everything. Start at when you arrive. It must have been crazy."

"Yes, Your Majesty."

What I did next was calculated, it was intentional. But it wasn't premeditated. It occurred to me at most two minutes before I did it. And it was real. It wasn't false. It was theatrical. But it wasn't theater.

I popped up and spun on her. Looking into her eyes. "Call me Cat, Sam. Cat! You talk about how bad you feel that I was kept so lonely and shut off in my own home and family growing up. But you keep your distance and encourage others to keep theirs. It is a thousand times more important that I not be seen as a princess than that Dice not be seen as a girl as far as our future goes. I'm racking my brain Sam and I can't think of a single situation when it will be more important for you to show respect for a office I have self exiled from. With your help I might add. Than it is for us to keep up the appearance that we are two uninteresting lowborn maidens quietly making our life." And suddenly it shifted gears. I hadn't planned for it but suddenly I was not trying to air my pain and loneliness in an effort to get more attention or different attention. I realized it honestly was a good question and her respect for me, while admirable, honestly was endangering us.

I think it really hit her and clicked together at that same moment. She looked at me and said, "You're right, Cat. You are entirely and completely right and I can't believe I didn't see it."

Her experiencing any kind of regret or second guessing anything after the fact wouldn't help anything and would be a waste of time at this late hour. "So what went through your head approaching this giant tortoise, a mile long and two miles high. Can you tell its alive when you walk up to it?"

Sam looked at me confused for a second because of my eyeblink changes of subject then back again. "Well firstly if it was a mile long and two miles high it would look like a bubble with legs. Its about three quarters of a mile around the perimeter of its shell and about half a mile across because it does rise up. If it was standing and you walked under it would be a bit more than half that."

She was a little bit off in her own mind, reminiscing, so I felt it was safe to resume my place lying in her lap.

"And to answer your question, yes and no. He is so vast, or she, I honestly don't know. Anyway when she's lying on the ground your brain cannot wrap its head around the fact that this vast being is one entity. Your brain says 'hill'. On that level nothing will tell you she is not a feature of the landscape. But at the same time as soon as you are within sight of her you're touched by this sense of life he has. It is actually very powerful. Now she looks very much like a hill. Tortoise shells are bone but they have scutes or like giant scales of keratin, what our hair and fingernails are made of and these plates cover and protect the bone. Since he's so huge and so old the normal two or three hundred pounds of dust, of them breaking down every year, has accumulated and mixed with other materials so in some areas it has the texture and feel of soil, it is soil of a sort and grass grows here and there. In other areas the bits are still breaking down and in those areas it seems more like woodchips. So there's grass growing in areas, other areas like this woodchip stuff and some patches of sand. Which might be sand that got there somehow or might be something else. There are a couple types of partially carnivorous trees and bushes that have roots through cracks in the shell and into her bloodstream. So if he's lying on the ground he mostly looks like a regular hill depending on what direction you are coming from. You might be walking toward a giant leg or even a head bigger than this apartment building on a neck as high as a skyscraper."

"Oh I can picture it Sam!" I said, truly excited and trying to play it up even more to move my plan forward. "I want to picture it Sam, you come and lay behind me and tell me all about it, and I'll close my eyes and picture it. All I ever wanted was to see the Cirque Magique, Sam. Lie here with me and help me see it. Just til I go to sleep."

And she did, Sam came and lay behind me. Not knowing that I was willing to fight sleep off all night if that's what it took for her to doze off first. But whatever I had to do, my knight protector, Samantha of Puckett House was spending the night in my bed.

 


	5. Chapter 5

The day was everything I could have wanted. It was like a holiday. And I got to meet the Faery Tortoise! And talk to her! But it wasn't until the end of the day when things really got interesting. And that's coming from someone who would rate the rest of the day as the best day of her life so far.  
Discounting the first night I tricked Sam into sleeping in my bed as too personal.

We were sure to arrive at the Cirque early, for a lot of reasons. It was our first big job and we wanted it to lead to bigger and better things. (Meaning more jobs. I actually did not expect to get a job better than working security for my childhood fantasy. Maybe better paying, longer lasting, or even more prestigious, but not in the 'I'd like it more' meaning of better.) Plus I was so excited I couldn't wait.

I actually initially didn't know we'd arrived. The Ihouneot Uhout was coincidentally lying at such an angle to the road that we did not see leg or head but shell all the way to the ground and I would have absolutely said it was a hill.  
"We'll have to walk from here." Sam said parking in a refueling station's vehicle area.

"Can we go no closer? Surely engine noises don't spook the great beastie." I asked.

"No we can go no closer because that's it. Right on the other side of this street. That hill is the Cirque Tortoise."

Now that she pointed it out I could see the tops of some of the pavillions through the trees. But this creature at this angle looked exactly like a hundred other hills. I was expecting it to look a lot like a hill for an astronomically large creature. But no it wasnt 'that tortoise looks like a hill', it was 'that is a hill that apparently also is alive and sentient'. I saw grass, trees, a leaf layer visible under the trees. It was exactly like a hill with a park on it. I was speechless. I think I am babbling now just to make up for it.

"Well are we early enough to walk around the perimeter and say hello to the head?" I asked, so excited.

"Well let's pop into the restroom at the gas station first and make sure you're camera ready. Then I don't see why not." Sam replied.

"You don't think I'll actually be on camera, do you?" I asked.

"I said it initially as a figure of speech. But, now that you ask, all I can say is perhaps. At least in the background. They wouldn't feature you. They don't know who you are. I doubt they'd ask you any questions. Since you are not a regular employee. I know Jade is hoping they'll ask about F&H, and they may. But I suspect she will have to subtly lead them to asking those questions so in all likelihood they would be asking her.  
But, that you might be in the background of a shot or two is very much a possibility. You definitely want to be certain your family wouldn't recognize you.  
Wait that's not even entirely it. You are a celebrity of a sort and we want to make sure no one recognizes you. Plus I'm certain you'll want to make sure that the ride on my motorcycle hasn't ruffled you before Jade sees us. Since i'm certain you'll want to look better than her."

"Now, Sam. That's not it at all." I said, shocked.

"Okay. Given that all your life you are used to formal dress, whether the occasion warranted it or not. Added to that, since we escaped every time Jade has ever seen you, you have been in clothes that wouldnt have been acceptable even as play clothes in your former life. If you had been allowed to play. So you want to show all of us, including yourself, that you still have that iconic Princess Catrina style. Even here among the humans, wearing castoff human clothes."

That was close enough to the truth that I chose not to continue that line of discussion and give Sam another chance to describe my outfit as castoff human clothes. Even if that was an accurate, if blunt, description.

We were able to find used military fatigues in a brownish green called khaki. They were similar to but not as nice as the work clothes provided by Sam and Tori's families.

Tori's were in a deep forest green. And Sam's were a dark smoke gray with a hint of a bluish purple.

She explained that was because black was so dark as to be visible even at night. This color was designed to blend and was invisible in dark shadow.

At first glance the different colors appeared to be a reflection of rank.  
Although they were equal in all things, and although Tori's clothes had actual Fox insignia on them, while Sam's were unadorned; people still seemed to generally take Sam to be the commander. Possibly because her suit was darkest, but I believe it was more likely that it was because she was the only one who had a soldier's bearing.

We were the first to arrive. I assume because Tori and Jade had to stop at our apartment to collect the boys. But I had seen Jade's outfit yesterday and tried to aim in a similar style. She would wear a grey green light sweater and a nice midlength black skirt. I tried to match styles, though in pink and burgundy which I felt suited me better also I wore pale pink leggings under my skirt while she wore stockings with a netting pattern.

I wore a touch of makeup. Only because I knew it was expected. I didn't like it, and could achieve a better effect magically. But this wasn't about better it was about expected with humans and for today I would just do it.

It took me less than five minutes to touch up and be completely ready. Both because there was little to do and also because I was hurrying to be absolutely certain that there would be time for us to walk around the perimeter and see the head.

I wanted to make a shortcut over its back but Sam explained we couldnt just walk up behind the head and expect it to turn one hundred-eighty degrees to talk to us.

I decided we could explore the hill of its shell later and it had been a little silly of me to want to do both at the same time.

The experience and the Tortoise herself were everything I could have asked for. The head was the size of a small family home. On a neck like an office tower stretching out to look at me and then up, I guess to look at me from that angle. "Good. Day. Little. Sister." It did not speak particularly loudly or as slowly as I have seen in a fictional cartoon about the Cirque that was popular when I was younger. I would say more then anything it's speech sounded emphatic more than slow. And the vibrations of its voice were low and deep and hit at the deepest core of me.

I also had noticed all the oldest fae called every other fae brother or sister. I liked it and while I didnt know why we ever stopped I was betting it would be the a selfish story of the faerie courts or human influence. It seemed like every negative thing in our history could be laid at one door or the other.

"And. You. Sister. Hound. I. Remember. You. Were. Smaller. But. You. Are. All. So. Small." The Tortoise said.

"I am honored you remember me, uhu'uto." Sam replied using the formal form of the Faery word for sister. Usually it would be uhuto, with the other being used in very specific occasions toward an older sister by a younger sister. And situations where there is no familial relationship at all. When the term was being used like this. I'm sure the Hounds who called all of their tribe siblings had a lot of reason to know the term.

"But I am no Hound. I chose not to take my vows." Sam finished. Sounding a bit more shamed by this fact than I'd ever heard before.

"Child. Leave. Vows. To. The. Oathbreaker. Humans. You. Need. No. Words. To. Know. Your. Duty. You. Need. No. Badge. To. Be. A. Hound."

For a split second I thought of police when she said this and wondered, since the job was related in a way, if Hounds got badges. Then realized she meant the insignia, or lack, on Sam's uniform.

I knew Sam felt called to my side, so I knew she wouldn't challenge it. I even got her to admit that a Hound is also called to their mate. Not just to jobs the gods wish done. She wouldn't have if I hadn't phrased it as a hound and their mate. It was still too early for her to even be able to imagine us specifically in that scenario. But I was comforted nonetheless.

Rather than challenging the statement, Sam just thanked the tortoise for her kind words and for remembering her.

We expressed our enjoyment of even this short chat and asked if we might visit again. Then we took our leave to go. This was the first of many times I said to Sam this day could not have gone better.  
People say that, and its not always true.  
But I was free, I was on my own. As safe as I could realistically expect to ever be. I was starting a job, where I would be making my own money. I was with the girl I was beginning to realize I truly loved. I was at the Cirque, which was my childhood fantasy. At a time when my job was to go everywhere and look at everything. And I got to meet and speak to the Ihouneot Uhout. Who in addition to being a being of historical significance; she has to be the only sentient entity in the entertainment business who was famous as a venue.

It was everything I could have hoped and more.  
The human media was there, but I didnt know whether to find them interesting or not.  
I was raised to be coldly anti-human. 'Disgusted by them, but too polite to say'. That was a quote from my mother, seconded by my royal tutors.

Although since Sam rescued me and I had actually spent even a small amount of time around them, they seemed to just be people, with there own desires and opinions, similar to the fae.

Even the faerie. Maybe us most of all. We too had created most of the problems we were faced with. We had an arrogance of not only believing ourselves better than the fellow creatures we shared our world with. But, like humans, we presumed to know we were as a fact.

Plus the humans we saw were humans I'd seen on the television, so that made them even more interesting.

At least interesting to me. The Cirque's managers clearly disagreed. They invited the human media. Promised them a press conference then refused to acknowledge any questions when the time came. Spending the morning making excuses as they walked on by the curious humans.

After lunch the media were called to the big-top and we were old that the staff security would patrol all other areas to make sure no humans had the bright idea to avoid the conference in favor of whatever secrets they might uncover while their fellows were busy and the fae staff were not expecting a human presence. F & H Warding was called to the large brick Cube that was the only permanent structure holding the Cirque's business offices along with the larder and secure storage area.

The head of the business side of the Cirque met us in the office with a smile and a handshake for each of us.

"Thank you for meeting with me. I know you came here under the impression that it would be a one day contract, connected to the increased media presence surrounding our decision that we would be welcoming a select few humans to attend our performances this summer. Until very recently we too expected this proud first to be the announcement of the summer. But recent events have transpired in a far more exciting direction. I have been given authorization to announce that the Cirque will be unable to host any of our intended human guests. As it turns out, we will not even be producing a show, as such, this season at all.  
We have been contacted by the High Queen, Rhiannon of Tir na Noch. For the first time this century she will be summering in the New World. It would seem that rather than splitting her time between the North American Courts she will honor us with her presence, moving with the Great Tortoise across this country and into our neighbors to the north and south. Meeting with the four courts before leaving us at summer's end to winter in the courts of south america before returning to her own demesnes.

It is our understanding that all fae members of your organization speak Faery fluently."

Like French in the Europe of the Middle Ages, day to day common Faery was mostly a pidgin of mixed Faery words and whatever the language of the country is, except at court where it was spoken formally, and in the case of the High Court almost exclusively. The Boys and I spoke it because of where we had been until a few weeks ago. Sam and Tori spoke it because Hounds and Foxes needed to be understood in court, but also because it was a language spoken across national borders by all fae. Even if no one but royalty bothered to speak it as their primary communication.

Jade, unfortunately, spoke almost none. But there was no question she would have many other useful talents.

"That is correct." Sam said.

"As with many cirques, fairs and carnivals our normal security are just roustabouts." He looked at my look of confusion. "The unskilled workers that are the infrastructure of the cirque. The labor that is the backbone. They clean, they set up and break down, they do what needs to be done so the performers don't need to worry, and that includes security." He looked at a couple papers as he paused. I was not certain why. "Then he continued. "Because of the queens visit we must retain the services of actual security professionals. The High Queen will have her own guard. However, we need ours as well. Both to subsidize hers as well as to look after our interests in this sensitive time.  
Obviously the Queen's guard will have no time to consider our needs, the Queen being their primary responsibility and her court their secondary. No room will be left over for anything else. And a security force that is fluent in Faery is all the better to act as our go between with her magnificence; as Cirque folk are not necessarily known for political savvy. I am our best speaker and I would describe myself as comfortable rather than fluent.  
So are you interested in a longer term contract, beginning today and lasting as long as the queen stays. With a possible option to extend beyond that if it is mutually beneficial to continue the business relationship."

I immediately and excitedly said yes, but then my partners explained I don't speak for the group and we would need to discuss it.

 


	6. Chapter 6

I appreciated the Princess' eagerness. But sharing the back of a giant traveling turtle with the most powerful faerie in the world, whether judged by political power or magical ability. Especially when this was also a person who had met her on a number of occasions.  
It did not seem to be the most effective way to preserve her anonymity.

I looked into my Princess' eyes as she smiled. Convinced I would support her, and I'm certain affectionate and unwilling to hold it against me if I didn't.

That accepting excited smile on her exquisitely expressive little face brought me back to the first time I'd spoken with the Princess.

I had only seen the maiden I'd been called to serve in passing for the first six weeks I'd been at Court.  
That changed one morning, when I was shackled in the punishment corner. A place where the stable walls met the walls of the grand hotel used as The Eastern Palace. The walls had been extended a bit to leave a twelve foot square courtyard open to the sky but nearly completely walled to obstruct the view of curious humans and block such necessities as staff flogging from the delicate eyes of the nobility.

I had refused to accompany my assigned partner out into the mixed blood and lowborn clubs of Greenwich Village to find the necessary maidens for the amusement of the Crown Prince.

It had been the first time I had been ordered to this duty, but I had worked the other side of the Prince's rape machine several times by then. Taking the scared, violated, and often injured girls away from the palace and back to their homes or, if necessary, the hospital.  
It was part of our job to threaten and intimidate the girls away from going to the human authorities or trying to involve anyone from the outside in these situations. We all knew no one in the faerie community would even consider opposing.

I would just explain their options. Being Hound trained, whether I took my vows or not, I was not going to threaten or intimidate a vulnerable innocent. But it was a fact that after a night with the Prince a woman's options were limited.  
She could take comfort that it was over. The Prince liked variety and even if he had chosen to call again, his parents had given us standing orders that any girl he asks to see again must be paid off and flown from the country rather than risking him deciding he was in love with a woman of the classes he sought sport fucking in.

Most fae could choose when to get pregnant but if the girl was too weak, or something simply went wrong; there was something in place to provide the absolute best medical care and easiest most comfortable abortions possible for any woman who turned up pregnant within a year of laying with the Prince.

But that was basically it. Except for trying to move past it, and get on with their lives. Any attempts to prosecute or seek retribution would be met with violence beyond any reasonable conception.

I asked myself daily why I was not given the command to kill the Mad Prince. Any of my tribe regardless of vows might be given that command in a situation like this. But still that deep quiet voice that spoke the gods' will occasionally within me remained silent.

Not even silent, because it more said 'not yet' then 'no', it was just a diffuse feeling through my body and mind but it did seem to say, 'that's not who you are there to deal with'. With just a hint of, 'not yet'.

Perhaps it was because while he was definitely raping them by my definition, and I'm sure by the gods' and maybe even the human law. But they went willingly, knowing they were being invited to the palace to have sex with the Prince. They signed on and agreed to that.

What they didn't know until it was too late was the Prince was a true sexual sadist. Not even the fun kinky kind. I was more than half certain he could not perform sexually with a girl unless he had hurt her to the point that she changed her mind and then he forced her anyway.

In he end, I did not like to even try to guess the desires and opinions of the gods. The guilty prospered and the innocent suffered. And there was no rhyme or reason in the world as far as my eyes could discern.

All I knew was I would never have anything to do with such acts. I would clean up his messes for a time while I waited for the opportunity to befriend the Princess and hopefully get her to agree to run from her parents demesnes and escape to the comparative safety of the Western Court. But under no circumstances would I help him make the messes.

This meant I had been flogged to falling at dawn and left to hang there, from the whipping post, til dusk. I was not guarded. I was bound anyway and they trusted my honor to prevent me from escaping. Although I think it was widely acknowledged that I could.

My partner and the closest I had to a friend in the Guard had been forced to carry out my punishment. Which was all the harder on him because he knew I was right. However he was deemed to be too easy on me and was hung on the other side of the post in the time it took him to begin weeping in expectation.  
This lad had no business being a guard. Being a great fighter wasn't the only thing required. Some natural hardness and stoicism must be in place. Six weeks working beside him convinced me this lad ought to be a governor, as in the male of a governess, not a politician.  
He loved children was not only intelligent, but quick witted. His martial prowess would better serve protecting the children of a noble house and gently instructing them in their own swordsmanship lessons. I told him as much and his heart agreed but his head told him his family would not be proud of a male nursemaid as they were a knight.

The whip master was enough of a bully that he was incensed by how easily the lad wept and went all the harder on him. Flogging to falling became flogging to unconsciousness because he fell on the first stroke, and there he hung by his wrists, his legs weak from shock and pain, writhing and crying out as blow after blow landed. Only to end when he lost consciousness and hung limp.

Now two hours later I knew he was awake. But he still hung, eyes open but blank, no effort made to plant his feet although I knew for a fact his weight hanging from the bonds was dislocating his shoulders from their moorings with agonizing slowness. Now if he moved but did not instantly plant his feet they would immediately tear loose completely.

I knew he was permanently damaged mentally as well as physically and I could not bear it.  
Knowing this had happened to him because he showed me mercy I used one of the least known and least used of the powers of my tribe. I scraped my shoe off against my leg. Much harder than it looked as it was a boot laced tight to my calf. I had to twist my leg back and forth to loosen the laces then scrape it against my leg to inch it down. Then repeating the motion until maybe half an hour later I got it off and reached my leg around the post to touch him with my bare toes. Focusing my breathing and my concentration I said, "Within and without; flesh, mind, and spirit ; I take your pain."

I felt is lashings bloom on my skin with shooting burning pain. My muscles became strained and deeply bruised as I took his partially dislocated shoulders as well.  
My mind was momentarily blinded with betrayal and hopelessness so black it physically darkened my eyes to shadow; as if an eclipse had taken the sun.  
Finally my mind was clouded so quickly and completely it almost obscured the pain. Since the betrayal and spiritual pain were not my own they lessened almost immediately as my inner self shook them off.  
This was because I was not the sort of person who took such things as personally as he did, but they did leave their mark and if I did this often enough it would shape me over into such a person.  
The physical injuries were not shaken off so easily, but my tribe not only was more difficult to damage but also healed much more quickly than a faerie. So even in a moment they were just that tiny bit better than they would have been if he had still borne them.

The lad was standing, bearing his own weight and looking at me with clear eyes. "Lady Samothrace, What have you done?"

"Being tied to this post until dusk is sufficient punishment for you putting your trust and loyalty in an unworthy vessel. I will have you take no more than that on my account. So I took the tangible injuries unto myself and the mental. You retain the memories, because it is not my will to steal your experiences only your pain. But I expect in a few days they will be almost like a dream."

"Why? How?" He asked in wonder.

"Why, I just finished answering, you daft boy. And how is my own business. I only hope you learn from this and seek a life that you can take pride in."  
Since he took his punishment in full and more so, he would be allowed to quit with no hard feelings and even a recommendation of the Knight Commander, for the time he had worked.  
The comparatively honorable commandants knew the guard was not for everyone. So the worst he'd face is cruel taunts from his peers but I hoped he would leave the palace and the area before he'd even gotten many of those.

"Is my resignation your price for what you've done?" He asked.

"No, if I asked any payment I would be betraying the spirit of the gift. Not that I would choose to even if I could. It is me asking as a friend if this experience gave you pause. If, perhaps, you agree now, with the evidence you have observed, that these orders do not suit your temperament or your personal code of honor. If, by chance, you choose to make a life elsewhere?"

"I suppose I do, friend." He said. The last part of him that was willing to balk because he did not want my pity, disintegrated when he saw I was not keeping score, only offering my own heartfelt opinion.

"I cried and wailed like a schoolboy being strapped." He said. Allowing himself to accept and feel all he had been blocking, in an effort to be someone he wasn't, he now had thoughts that must be heard.

"I know." I said. Lying now would serve no one. He knew what he'd done. "It doesn't matter."

"I am a man, and a knight. I should not have cried like that." He said.

"You are a man. A strong and honorable one. That is a fact. And yes it is a fact that a knight should not have carried on like you did. But my friend you are not yet a knight. And I believe you should not try to be one. You would have to strangle too much of who you are to fill that role. Even if you were successful, you would mourn the loss of yourself the rest of your life. If you didn't mourn it would be because you had truly killed that part, which would almost be worse." I said.

His eyes looked pained for a moment then he just nodded, with melancholy finality. "The Crown Prince will destroy the entire court if allowed to rule." He said, shifting the subject from himself, but not really changing it.

"True." I said. "But the King and Queen will not see reason. I believe their dynasty will be sacrificed to his arrogance and their blindness. But the Court will not be lost, the Faerie Queen will step in to name successors of her choice if necessary."

"It's foolishness and sad that they are so ridiculously confident in their own superiority and through their line, his." The lad said. "And yet they can completely disregard their daughter who might make a fine Queen. No one knows because she is not allowed to even be a Princess, so no one can imagine her a Queen."

"In a family of madness the sane one can become the scapegoat, because they resent that someone can be untouched by the rot that fills them near to bursting... Well not untouched," I caught myself. "She bears scars I'm sure. A multitude probably. But she is effected by their madness without being infected with it."

"I don't think Mother and Father are mad. I certainly hope not." A voice said and Sam was able to turn enough to see the Princess approaching. "The Prince, you'd never believe me if I denied it, so I shan't."

The Princess looked foolish, but even with their short and distant acquaintance, Sam knew it would hurt the girl to mention it, even in a way where Sam tried to advise her what to do different next time.

The Princess had left her ornate gown someplace and instead wore only a camisole and bloomers, both were dusty but obviously of a quality beyond even the concept of a commoner. Over the top she wore a horse blanket. With her head poked through a hole in the center her arms through two roughly symmetrical holes in the front. It stopped her from walking about outside in her underthings but made her no less conspicuous. I had caught more than one glimpse of the Princess watching me from a perch in the eaves of the palace. So I was not surprised to find that she liked to shinny through the duct work in her shirt and pants when her indifferent family thought she was quietly sitting in her room. Where they preferred she stay, so they didn't have to look on her.

She was small and slim in a way most purebloods of noble families were tall and slim. She was the height I was at fifteen with the body I had before my breasts and hips came in. But I knew her to be nearly my age and her body to have reached its full growth.

Her hair was done in fat ringlets that would have looked more fitting on a doll than framing her small triangular face. "You were talking about me." She said, not accusingly, but certainly surprised. "And my family. Too nice on my part, too hard on theirs."

"I respectfully disagree, Princess." I said.

"I saw what you did." She accused, jerking her head at the lad, who watched us with shocked silence.

"Well, I saw what you did." I accused back.

She looked terrified for a moment but then caught that I might be teasing and asked. "And what was that?" Ninety percent serious and ready to bolt, but open to play and speak for at least another minute or two if I handled her gently.

"You approved of me saving him." I said.

She actually looked shocked for a moment. "I did not! The pain of some strange knight means nothing to me when compared to you taking your punishment and his on top of it. I'd much rather you were healed. No offense, Sir Knight." She added as an afterthought.

"I'm no knight and never will be. And I don't disagree that the Lady Sam deserves comfort and healing more than I."

"Hush the both of you," I said. "His punishment was because of me and if he took my pain as well that would be him punished doubly for something entirely my fault. Or my decision rather; because I cannot see the saving of an innocent, when I balked at that order, being a fault."

"Why not take him to a healer?" She asked.

"Healers don't repair damage caused in punishment. And besides as you may have seen, we are both tied to this post." I said.

She peered into my eyes as she added this information to her opinion of my action. Then with a nod she said, "We have never been introduced. I am Catarina of the House of Valentine.

"I am Sam. Of Puckett House." I added.

Though we both used 'house' in our introduction, her use meant house as in dynasty. While I actually meant the building I was born in. Yes my entire family had lived and trained in that manor once. It still was a significant difference.

"I like you Sam Puckell." She announced.

"Puckett." I corrected.

"Perhaps," She allowed, clearly not quite agreeing.

"Glad to finally meet you in person, Princess Cat. With the climbing you do, Cat suits you. Or maybe Monkey," I teased. "Madame Marmoset on formal occasions."

She snarled at me, but was clearly playing and just as clearly was loving the attention.

Unfortunately, I knew there wouldn't be many chances the two of us could talk. So I decided to sacrifice the easy camaraderie of the moment to make sure some things that needed to be said were said.

"You know your brother is as dangerous as he is mad. Even to you. Even though he's your brother."

She laughed deep and long, but entirely without humor. "You must be new, my Lady. And I'm sorry to laugh. But no one walking the earth knows my brother's danger more than me. I just have no choice but to bear the risk. To bear anything that comes, where he is concerned."

I knew the truth of her words. At least at that moment. "Sorry, of course you do. But every day is a new beginning and what is true today may change tomorrow. Thank you for meeting with me. It was a pleasure. I hope when next we meet it will be in better circumstances. But now you must go before you are seen."

"Do you want me to free you before I go?" She asked.

"No, it'd be better not. But if you could hold my boot so I could slip back into it, I'd like to keep them guessing about what happened to the lad. Perhaps I'll say the gods healed him because the punishment was unjust."

The Princess laughed with me a moment and then she had my shoe both on and re-laced in a trice. Quite good when I thought of the fact she would have possibly never laced her own shoes let alone someone else's.

She gave me a small kiss on the cheek with her goodbye. Not unusual with our affectionate people, and possibly meaning nothing. But I liked to hope at least she thought me a friend.

Now, five months later, she is my closest friend, and she had made it clear that she wishes we could be more. A fantasy I treasured to my heart but could not conceive as a realistic possibility. I was a good and honorable person, I did not make less of myself than I was. I would make some woman a marvelous bride one day, but a Princess, even in exile, could not be with someone like me.

There was no way she could be in hiding forever, and I don't think either of us ever expected her to. She would just take this time to come into her own, with my help and the rest of our little rag tag six member mini-clan.  
I could see her compassion, but I could also see her strength. Both strength of character and raw magical power. I truly believed that spending a bit of time finding her path and becoming confident walking it, would allow her to be able to face her family on their own level and demand the respect she deserved.

The boys were the last to arrive, and all three of the rest of us were in favor of starting our meeting without them. Since they were the Princess' servants and would not be willing to vote against her, even if they wanted to. So it was a waste to delay.  
But the Princess was the sole dissenting voice and she did make a good point. "I was once a Princess and I might be again, though part of me hopes not. Regardless, at the moment I am a simple mixed blood girl, with no unusual skills or features, except I happened to study a little harder than most, when learning Faery.  
All six of us must think of me only as Cat Valiant."  
I'd suggested the pseudonym because it was similar enough that the Princess would immediately recognize it written or spoken. It sounded like a mispronunciation of her true name but since the Princess's name was always given as Princess Catarina or Princess Catarina of the House of Valentine, no one would hear Cat Valiant and even think of Her Highness.

I was right though. The boys just agreed with everything Cat said. We could have had the meeting without them for all the help they gave.

Although I can't honestly say any of us was particularly eloquent. Cat argued that it would be fun and interesting and no one could deny that. But she also argued that there simply was no other opportunity that compared to managing security for The Cirque during the summer of the Faerie Queen, if we wanted to make a name for ourselves. Another point no one could deny.

I still was worried practically green about the possibility of Cat being discovered as the Princess.

Oddly it was Jade, my cousin's wife, who put me in my place. "Sam, you need to stop infantilizing her, that's exactly what her family has been doing. Even if you think you are doing it to protect her. Cat is an adult, past saining.  
As far as I understand your culture, she can do anything she wants. There might be a social price to pay but she doesn't have to do as her parents say, and she certainly doesn't have to be raped by her brother. She could kill him for trying and face no retribution. Sam, you couldn't kill him on her behalf, because he's royalty and you're not. But anything Cat did to him herself is fine. The only reason that it might not be best to show herself and ask the Queen's protection is she isn't likely to be willing to take sides.

In fact I'm only now realizing that Cat's plan for the future doesn't include killing her family and ruling in their stead because she is too kind and fears that she will never be strong enough. I thought she just didn't wish to be Queen. Which actually would be a worse crime in the Faerie Queen's eyes. If I'm not mistaken, she is one who feels royal families are chosen. Although it was her grandmother who created new royal families to reign in the new world. So I personally don't see where chosen by the gods fits into it."

Tori said. "You're right about the Queen and Cat's right to retribution as long as she does it herself. Against anyone else Sam can act in her stead as her champion. But not against royalty.

I said, "All truth absolutely. I ignored it because when she escaped she was years younger inside in many ways. Though it's been only three weeks.  
She takes in new information and happily grows from it. She's still far from ready. But we do need to think of that as an option. We need to entertain all realistic options. It is Cat's decision in the end. But we should never discount an option's existence just because she is not presently interested in pursuing it."

"Blah, blah, blah; whatever." Cat said, "This is a meeting to decide if we are taking the offer to work the Cirque for the summer. Not discuss what I may or may not one day do about my relatives."

Dice laughed, "Work the Cirque, that rhymes."

"I know, right?" Cat said, slapping his palm in the way of humans.

In the end we all agreed that if Cat was willing to risk her disguise, it really was an incomparable opportunity to get a reputation in a couple months that some businesses take years or even longer to build.

We had to do it.


End file.
